It took some 10 million years for Earth to recover from the greatest mass extinction of all time, latest research has revealed.

Life was nearly wiped out 250 million years ago, with only 10 per cent of plants and animals surviving. It is currently much debated how life recovered from this cataclysm, whether quickly or slowly.

Recent evidence for a rapid bounce-back is evaluated in a new review article by Dr Zhong-Qiang Chen, from the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, and Professor Michael Benton from the University of Bristol. They find that recovery from the crisis lasted some 10 million years, as explained May 27 in Nature Geoscience.

There were apparently two reasons for the delay, the sheer intensity of the crisis, and continuing grim conditions on Earth after the first wave of extinction.

The end-Permian crisis, by far the most dramatic biological crisis to affect life on Earth, was triggered by a number of physical environmental shocks -- global warming, acid rain, ocean acidification and ocean anoxia. These were enough to kill off 90 per cent of living things on land and in the sea.

Dr Chen said: "It is hard to imagine how so much of life could have been killed, but there is no doubt from some of the fantastic rock sections in China and elsewhere round the world that this was the biggest crisis ever faced by life."

Current research shows that the grim conditions continued in bursts for some five to six million years after the initial crisis, with repeated carbon and oxygen crises, warming and other ill effects.

In the layer of rock corresponding to the extinction, the scientists found elevated amounts of the rare element iridium. A precious metal belonging to the platinum group of elements, iridium is more abundant in meteorites than in rocks on Earth. A similar spike of iridium in 65 million-year-old rocks gave rise in the 1970's to the theory that a meteor caused the demise of the dinosaurs... The levels are only about one-tenth as high as those found at the later extinction. That could mean that the meteor was smaller or contained less iridium... In the same rock layer, Dr. Olsen and his colleagues found a high concentration of fern spores -- considered an indicator of a major disruption in the environment. Because spores carried by the wind can travel long distances, ferns are often the first plants to return to a devastated landscape. The scientists found more evidence of rapid extinction in a database of 10,000 muddy footprints turned to rock in former lake basins from Virginia to Nova Scotia... Because the sediment piles up quickly in lake basins, the researchers were able to assign a date to each footprint, based on the layer of rock where it was found. They determined that the mix of animals walking across what is now the East Coast of North America changed suddenly about 200 million years ago. The tracks of several major reptile groups continue almost up to the layer of rock marking the end of the Triassic geologic period 202 million years ago, then vanish in younger layers from the Jurassic period...

There’s been recovery from each of the mass extinctions — otherwise we wouldn’t be here, our ancestors having died — but this study is just gradualist nonsense. The P-T boundary is narrow like the K-T boundary, has iridium (which is not as strong as at the K-T boundary, but much stronger than volcanism can produce), and whole taxa just stopped at the boundary, no “five or six milllion year” period BS as in the article.

“The end-Permian crisis, by far the most dramatic biological crisis to affect life on Earth, was triggered by a number of physical environmental shocks — global warming, acid rain, ocean acidification and ocean anoxia.”

Not to mention SUV-driving dinosaurs smoking cigarettes.

13
posted on 05/28/2012 7:42:41 PM PDT
by Pelham
(Marco Rubio, so that we can be the capital of Latin America)

Dr Chen said: "It is hard to imagine how so much of life could have been killed, but there is no doubt from some of the fantastic rock sections in China and elsewhere round the world that this was the biggest crisis ever faced by life."

Dr Chen said: "It is hard to imagine how so much of life could have been killed, but there is no doubt from some of the fantastic rock sections in China and elsewhere round the world that this was the biggest crisis ever faced by life."

"The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages And we think some plastic bags and some aluminum cans are going to make a difference? The planet isnt going anywhere. WE are! "

I know Im a stickler......There cant be a recovery from an extinction....at all.

Extinct means no longer in existence. (I know you knew that.)

The credibly of the story was shot with the title. How can we even hope to believe the scientific world and all its way out claims of “climate change”, ozone depletion, dark matter and such, if they don’t use exact scientific terms that mean the same thing today as they did tomorrow? (heh-snort).

...and the journalistic standards of today...!!!.....These yahoos wouldn’t have made it one semester in my freshman HS journalism class.

I think they must be in ka-hoots.

26
posted on 05/28/2012 9:00:47 PM PDT
by Delta 21
(Oh Crap !! Did I say that out loud ??!??)

The animals that disappeared millions of years ago, and have been miraculously rediscovered in modern times are called “Lazarus species”. Here, we discuss about some extinct animals found alive:

The Pygmy Tarsier: It is a small animal of the size of mouse, which weighs almost 60 grams. It was last spotted in 1921. But, recently two Indonesian scientists accidentally trapped and killed one species of this animal.

The Okapi: It is a shy forest-dwelling animal, which was first discovered in 1901 in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This animal was not found since 1959, until a recent survey conducted by World Wildlife Federation (WWF) in 2006 spotted seventeen Okapi tracks and other evidences to suggest their presence today.

The Cuban Solenodon: It was first discovered in 1861. In 1970, it was thought to have become extinct. But, in 2007, they were found once again, and 37 individuals are alive today.

Laotian Rock Rats: It was believed to have become extinct millions of years ago. But, in 2005, they were seen again, and are the sole survivors of an ancient group of rats. They are nocturnal creatures found in the remote forests of Laos.

Dwarf Cloud Rats: It was previously seen in 1896 in the forests of Mt. Data. Since no forest cover is left on Mt. Data, its habitat is lost. Recently, it was found in cloud forest on Mt. Pulag, which is about 2,350 meters above sea level.

The Nelson: It is a small-eared shrew. It was last spotted in 1894. But, in 2009, three shrews were again found to be alive, which suggests that their numbers could be even more.

Worcester’s Buttonquail: It was believed to have been extinct, and was known only through drawings based on dead museum specimens. But, recently a few of them were captured in Luzon in Philippines.

The Arakan Forest Turtle: It was thought to have become extinct as the last spotting was in 1908. In 1994, it was suddenly spotted in the Asian food markets. It is listed by IUCN as critically endangered, and only a few are in captivity.

The Terror Skink: It was last found in 1876. In 2003, its rediscovery in New Caledonia has raised hopes of more surviving species of this extinct animal. It is an omnivore having unusually long sharp curved teeth. It measures 50 centimeters.

The La Palma Giant Lizard: Their numbers started declining about 2000 years ago with the arrival of human being on La Palma. For the last 500 years, they were thought to be extinct, but have reappeared again in 2007. Habitat loss, introduction of cats, and consumption of their meat by people caused their extinction.

The Woolly Flying Squirrel: It was first discovered in 1888. This giant squirrel was mentioned only in the technical papers of the scientists, until recently it resurfaced in northern Pakistan.

In the same way, Javan Elephants, Bermuda petrel, the Coelacanth, the Mountain Pygmy Possum, etc. are some other extinct animals that have reappeared after they were believed to have become extinct.

27
posted on 05/28/2012 9:27:57 PM PDT
by ThomasThomas
(Entropy isn't what it used to be)

Some groups of animals on the sea and land did recover quickly and began to rebuild their ecosystems, but they suffered further setbacks. Life had not really recovered in these early phases because permanent ecosystems were not established.

It is sad to think about it but it is going to happen again. We know it has happened at least 6 times already. I was reading that 75,000 years ago the human race was darn near wiped out by the mount Toba volcanic eruption. Scientists think that only 1,000 of our species survived that event. Hopefully we can survive long enough to get out of the system and finds some habitable planets to colonize. Then if the worst happens at least some will go on.

True. I try not to think about super novas. There is enough to worry about as it is. I wish I could live to see the day we travel to another galaxy but unless there are some major breakthroughs in medicine, or physics, I don’t see that happening.

I will be satisfied if I make it another 10 to 20 years, but the way the world is going, I now see why we need to die at
some time.
I really feel for the young children of today, as the future, politically, looks very bleak.

The fact that an illegal Chicago thug can become POTUS is quite telling.

Just to be safe from a major supernova, t'would be best to spread into at least one neighboring galaxy.

*** True. I try not to think about super novas. There is enough to worry about as it is. ***

Hi, and 'scuse me for butting in)

That's one problem with Cosmology (and watching the Science channel 24/7). You find out all the ways the Universe it out to kill us. A regular 'ole Super Nova is just one of the ways we could all get wiped out faster than... Barry can give a proper salute to our troops.

But that we don't have to worry about that, our Sun is too small to go Super Nova, not enough mass. Sol will become a White Dwarf when it dies, no Black Hole for us. But there's all the other neat stuff.

A Killer Asteroid that's probably already out there with our name on it.

A Comet that we won't find until it's too late but couldn't do anything about anyway.

One of the millions of Black Holes that are freely roaming around 'out there' and could swallow us up tomorrow if we got in its way.

Still being around when our Sun starts to burn out and goes into its Red Giant phase and swallows earth (but we'd be burned alive long before that - yippee)

Or still being around when the Andromeda Galaxy collides with our Milkyway Galaxy and both Galaxies merge in a Death Dance. And we won't win the dance, Andromeda is larger, and even in the best scenario Earth is Doomed anyway).

It's those that keep me up at night thinking, I'm 'series'. If a massive star (sol x 1030) goes super nova and it produces a Super Gamma Ray Burst and its pole is aimed at Earth, we're Toast. Literally. I don't know why but dieing from Gamma Rays is like 2nd on my list of 'ways I DON'T want to go' (being in a Foxhole with a Lib or a Frenchman is #1).

And the nasty (scary) part is that somewhere out there a 'SGRB' may have already happened thousands of years ago and its merrily traveling its way toward us at Light-speed.

A “super Carrington” event would also wipe out civilization — although not in one fell swoop, because it might take a month or two for our food stockpiles to be exhausted.

At any rate, after those excruciating months of mass starvation, the only surviving humans would probably be a few isolated, wild tribes in the New Guinea mountains and in the jungles of the Congo and Amazon basins.

These primitive folks might repopulate Mother Earth in another 30,000 or so years. Just imagine their amazement when they eventually stumble upon some old DVD’s of Madonna and Lady Gaga!

"The Terror Skink: It was last found in 1876. In 2003, its rediscovery in New Caledonia has raised hopes of more surviving species of this extinct animal. It is an omnivore having unusually long sharp curved teeth. It measures 50 centimeters."

Ok call me backwards but why would you want to resurrect a creature that has TERROR right in its name???

But one thing is kinda ironic. Last night 'The Universe' series was on the H2 Channel and an Astrophysicist (a Black gent, really cool guy who explains Physics in plain English) was on a segment talking about our Brightest neighbor, the star Betelgeuse.

And... well... the news wasn't exactly good but not 100% bad -- kinda a coin flip. But either way, I wouldn't click the linked article before bedtime :-)

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